Justine Madugu

"We all know that we are representing the entire indigenous coaches at home because our doing well is a reflection of what the Nigerian coach can do."

"When we were given this task, we knew it was huge, we weren’t just representing ourselves."

"It wasn’t easy. People laughed. I was a civil servant, yet I coached both men’s and women’s teams. I was combining office work with football. But I believed in something bigger. God gave me the gift to read matches and analyze games even when I didn’t understand what that meant at the time."

"The dream was always alive - even when no one believed."

"We tried to simplify everything. Before training, we’d handle theory. In training, we executed."

"You are not just coaching footballers. You are shaping lives. These young women come with dreams, struggles, and emotions. We play the role of parents too."

"Discipline was non-negotiable, but we created an atmosphere where they could talk, trust, and grow."

"Some of the players have been with me since U17 and U20. We’ve built a relationship based on care, structure, and guidance. They ask for advice even outside football — it’s personal. That unity showed on the field."

"When you make players believe in what you’re doing, magic happens."

"Our long-term goal is to close the gap with the world’s best."

"We want more exposure, more capacity building for our coaches too. Let them go on attachments abroad, understand different football cultures. That’s how we grow."

"I’m just focused on delivering wherever I’m asked to serve. It’s not a do-or-die thing."

"Nigeria is for all of us. If there are ideas to make the team better, let’s listen. Let’s work together."

"Because of my involvement in football, I was seen as an unserious person by my family."

"But now it is the football man that is looked up to, to support the family."

"If you are offered a longer contract and the results don’t go your way, you could still be fired … So for me, it’s about getting down to work, doing the best we can and improving the standard of the team."

"But for us, as Africans, as Nigerians, we love expressing ourselves [on the pitch] …"

"When you defend and you regain possession, what do you do? You attack …"

"We must believe in ourselves. We must believe in our abilities."

"It’s about developing them holistically, because there is always life after football. If you don’t teach them certain values, they begin to misconstrue certain privileges for rights, because of the fame they have as players … We encourage them to go back to school, so that they have something to fall back on, when they retire."

"It is not an easy decision for us. We are human beings. These players are all our players; they belong to the country."

"I have no plans to shortchange anyone or take chances when it comes to selecting the best legs for each position."